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PEMBINA VALLEY WATER COOPERATIVE | Supplying Your Clean Drinking Water Since 1991
SUPPLYING YOUR CLEAN DRINKING WATER
SINCE 1991!
If you had never heard of the Pembina Valley Water Cooperative (PVWC) (no it’s not a new avant garde band) prior to 2020 you can be forgiven.
Tasked with the treating and distribution of water throughout the Pembina Valley region, the
PVWC’s mission is “to maintain and enhance the quality of life for PVWC member residents by providing reliable and affordable water that meets or exceeds the Canadian drinking water standards.”
The PVWC is owned by the 14 municipalities with one board member from each. The current cochairs are Don Wiebe, Reeve of the RM of Rhineland and George Grey, RM of Dufferin.
The regional organization responsible for treating and distributing water to approximately 62,000 people across more than 9,000 sq. km. has been quietly going about its business for more than 30 years. Then in 2020 and 2021, an intense drought hit southern Manitoba thrusting PVWC into the news and highlighting the foresight its founders had back in 1991.
It was a severe drought in the late 1980s that began the conversation which led to the organization’s creation in the first place. Prior to 1991, individual municipalities and RMs were responsible for their own water infrastructures but the pain of the drought had shown local leaders that by working together, they might find efficiencies and be better prepared for such a circumstance if it came again – and
“If you want to know the main reason for the Pembina Valley Water Cooperative being formed, I would say that you need look no further than this past year’s serious drought,” said Sam Schellenberg who was the first CEO of the PVWC and instrumental in its creation. “That’s what we experienced in the late 1980s. For several years, the level of the lake at Morden and the level of the aquifer in Winkler were a serious concern, as was the level of the Red River, Dale Hoffman, who was at that time the mayor of Morris, walked across it. It was a very serious drought in all areas of the valley.”
They say necessity is the mother of invention and few regions are more inventive than the Pembina Valley. Schellenberg was part of the Pembina Valley Development Corporation at the time and noted that the water conditions at the time forced the region to work together to resolve the issue.
“This was a real concern not only for the welfare of our residents, but it was a real blockage to growth in their communities in population growth, to provide jobs for industry and business growth” said Schellenberg. “It was a huge concern, a huge issue at many levels and led to the formation of a task force initially involving Winkler, Morden, Altona, Rhineland, Morris and Stanley.”
Eventually, the work of the task force would lead to the creation of the PVWC and an initial membership of 18 communities throughout the Pembina Valley region of southern Manitoba (which became the current 14 after provincial amalgamation efforts).
The good news is, the work of the PVWC over the years under the leadership of Schellenberg, Gord Martel and now Greg Archibald, has meant that, while difficult
and logistically challenging, they were able to meet the demands of the recent drought and in some ways exceed them by assisting communities like Morden. In addition, Winkler went beyond their historical partnership level while striking new arrangements that will allow for the storage and movement of water during future times of need.
“We are all about maintaining the infrastructure, to ensure adequate water flow and water pressure is provided, so we don’t have to put citizens into a boil water advisory,” said CEO Greg Archibald. “PVWC is the best kept secret around because when things are operating the way you want them to be running, then nobody’s really hearing anything - you’re providing water and the cooperative is doing its job meeting capacity issues.”
The substantial growth in the region since the start of the PVWC means that not only was the infrastructure built to defray the impact of drought and low water concerns but also to meet the increased demand of growing residential population, agriculture sector and industry.
“In the last 30 years, the growth in this region has been amazing,” said Archibald who noted the number of system upgrades that have had to occur to stay ahead of demand. “We’re just going through planning processes right now and updating our 20-year plan.”
The PVWC pays for expansion with revenue from water rates which are set every five years and approved by the province’s Public Utilities Board. This means the PVWC has to have a good idea of growth rates and water needs well in advance, because it does not fund projects through taxation.
INFRASTRUCTURE MAP SAINT CLAUDE
HAYWOOD
STEPHENFIELD
Regional Water Treatment Plant
Water Source: Stephenfield Lake Storage Capacity: 2,350,000 litres Rated for 60 litres per second
- Booster Stations
STEPHENFIELD
STEPHENFIELD
MIAMI ROSEBANK
ROLAND Regional Reservoir
ROLAND
MORDEN WINKLER
SCHANZENFELD
820,013,527
imperial gallons sold in 2021
62,000
residents served (approx.)
9,000
sq. km. serviced
315
total km of pipeline
ROSENORT
MORRIS
Regional Water Treatment Plant
Water Source: Red River Storage Capacity: 2,800,000 litres Rated for 100 litres per second
LOWE FARM MORRIS
PLUM COULEE
ALTONA SAINT JEAN BAPTISTE
LETELLIER
LETELLIER
Red River Regional Water Treatment Plant
Water Source: Red River Storage Capacity: 2,450,000 litres Rated for 86 litres per second
Adding to this complexity is the fact that there are numerous jurisdictions overlapping in responsibility for PVWC water sources. This includes federal, provincial and in the case of the Red River which flows into Manitoba from North Dakota, even international. Within each jurisdiction there can be numerous ministries involved, requiring decisions that need to be worked on well in advance of implementation, making staying ahead of the curve as much an art as it is a science.
In terms of infrastructure, the PVWC owns and maintains water treatment plants at Stephenfield, Morris and Letellier. The combined water production of all three plants is 820 million imperial gallons (3.727 billion liters).
Most recently the Stephenfield plant was upgraded to meet 100 percent of Carman’s water needs pumping out up to 60 liters per second to Carman and surrounding municipalities from the Stephenfield Lake. The Morris and Letellier plants draw water from the Red River. Morris has a potential capacity of 100 liters per second while Letellier is rated for 86 liters per second.
Every plant is connected to customers via a complex monitored network of pipes, booster stations and reservoirs, through a control system. It’s an impressive arsenal of equipment staffed by a knowledgeable crew who were able to meet the double whammy of Covid and a severe drought headon and continue to provide water through what has likely been the most difficult two years in its existence.
One of the municipalities who is supplied water by PVWC, said to Archibald. “15 to 20 percent of the milk production in Manitoba comes from our area”. Archibald said, “We had to maintain their water supply last summer or otherwise it would have had milk production impact... Over 6% of the nine agricultural municipalities water usage for the entire year goes out in 3 months for weed control spraying alone. Archibald estimates around 30 percent of our total water flows from PVWC goes into agriculture - so it’s huge.”
Serving such a diverse range of clients – urban, rural, industry and
agriculture can be a challenge but it’s one understood by PVWC board co-chair George Gray who started his involvement with the cooperative 15 years ago as the Dufferin representative on the board. Gray represents a number of different demographics – he’s the Reeve of the RM of Dufferin, a former councillor and a local farmer. Gray understands water from a variety of perspectives and brings that valuable insight to bear.
“Before rural water was available, we had a 1,500-gallon cistern in the basement of our farmhouse,” said Gray. “When I was growing up, the eaves troughs diverted the rain off of the roof to the cistern. We filled a cream can with water for drinking and cooking from our neighbour’s well in Graysville because we could not get a well to provide water to us.”
Gray’s experience growing up in rural Manitoba speaks to the importance of water to running a farm and to agriculture as an industry. His family had to haul water at least once a week. His experience mirrors much of rural Manitoba’s and contributed to Gray’s understanding of the importance and value of a unique initiative like the PVWC.
Decades before the PVWC came into being, Gray recalls a trip through North Dakota where he noticed white poles with signs reading ‘rural water’ which got him wondering.
“I asked someone what did the words ‘rural water’ mean,” Gray said. “They responded that North Dakota farmers were hooked up to potable water that was provided by pipelines. “Oh my, I thought – would we in Dufferin in the rural area ever dare to dream of that?” Gray’s and other rural farm resident’s dreams came true with the inception of PVWC in the 90s and the impact was huge.
“No more hauling water just turn on the tap,” said Gray. “That was the single greatest improvement to quality of life any rural ratepayer could dream of. People also have the option to hook up a line to water cattle, hog barns, dairy farms. The advantages of rural water provided by PVWC are endless in a rural setting.”
As a political representative and a farmer, Gray has come to understand the importance of water to the growth of the region. It’s an importance he is eager to communicate as the Pembina Valley has been one of the fastest growing places in Canada over the past two decades.
“PVWC is the hub that virtually all economic development has to depend on,” said Gray, noting the rapid expansion of industry in the region. “Without a safe,
guaranteed water supply, economic development would be very limited. PVWC has done and will do its utmost to satisfy water needs and further economic development in the area.”
As Gray noted, the region is constantly expanding and now with Covid slowly fading into the past and a spring that has come with plenty of water, Archibald and PVWC staff have redoubled their efforts to seek the resources required to continue to grow infrastructure to meet demand.
Along with demand growth - climate change has definitely become a factor lending even greater importance to the work of the PVWC. As we move into the future, southern Manitoba needs to prepare for more years of spring flooding and summer/fall drought. This requires an infrastructure that can capture and store water in the spring to be able to use it in the lean summer and fall months as well as to move it under pressure to where it is needed most.
Like a circulatory system, the PVWC is building infrastructure that keeps people and business alive and growing throughout southern Manitoba. While we all understand the need for water as individuals and families (drinking, cooking, cleaning, recreation etc.) the significant business needs– when not met – could force business and industry to move or consider other locations.
This is why planning for growth continues. Recently $17.2 million of funding was approved to further enhance the Letellier plant. Archibald continues to connect throughout the industry to ensure he is well placed to understand and advocate for the region’s water
No more hauling water, just turn on the tap...
CITY OF DISCOVERY
www.rmofrhineland.ca
needs. He is the Manitoba Board Member on the Canadian Water and Wastewater Association. He also serves as an executive board member of the Red River Basin Commission and provides leadership for the Water Supply Working Group as part of Basin Drought Planning.
“Advocacy is a big part of the role,” said Archibald. “I have to work with municipal, provincial, federal, and state resources. By knowing what is going on across the country, this helps me understand the impact of things in advance.”
While the complexities of administration and growth keep him busy, Archibald says the logistics of managing a complex infrastructure’s needs and meeting client demand could not be done without the tireless efforts of PVWC’s welltrained staff. “I’m a people person and this is all about people,” said Archibald who stressed the importance of connecting with the highly trained staff. “Our operators, engineers, admin and finance people help wherever they can – they are experts at what they do.”
It’s that expertise Archibald hopes member municipalities leverage.
“The 14 municipalities own us- why wouldn’t you take advantage of our expertise?” said Archibald. “That is all part of living in a cooperative – helping each other out and collaborating. We’re a community.” When you turn on your tap for a drink of water take a moment and consider the significance of that simple act. You are a part of that community. When you run water for your hogs or cattle you are taking part in a complex, collaborative effort of people, infrastructure and technology that stretches over 9,000 sq. km and links you to more than 62,000 others in the Pembina Valley – all thanks to the PVWC, the staff there now and the vision of those that came before.
www.winklerconcrete.ca 485 Eastview Drive, Winkler, MB R6W 0K3 (204) 325-8852
